Culture-led regeneration

Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth

Summary
Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 1
Forewords

The role that local government plays in the We commissioned this guide to look at many
leisure, sports, heritage and culture fields is different examples of how this cultural-led
huge. We all know what huge industries the regeneration can be done, so councils across
cultural industries are, as well as the visitor the country can look at examples that work
economy. Between them they account for over for them and possibly do something similar.
£200 billion of economic activity. I am delighted that the Calouste Gulbenkian
Foundation has been able to support this
But we will also know, from our own council
important work.
budgets, the huge pressure there is on
budgets that are seen as ‘non-statutory’ and We have looked at different types of councils
can therefore be cut. – urban and rural, unitary, county and district,
as well as the wider landscape represented
In 2017/18, the LGA Culture, Tourism and
here by the excellent New Anglia Local
Sport Board decided to look at cultural-led
Enterprise Partnership. We have looked at
regeneration, so that councils across the
different types of activity, from those councils
country can learn from each other and drive
using existing assets in different ways,
economic success through culture. The
to creating new anchor organisations for
more we have looked at this, the greater the
cultural regeneration, to festivals and pop-
variety of ways we have found to achieve it.
up activities, to strategic planning and skills
The UK City of Culture activities in Hull have
investment. I hope you will be inspired by the
been a huge success, and in 2021 Coventry
examples found in this guide.
will follow. I am sure again it will be a huge
success. Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson CBE
Chairman, LGA Culture, Tourism and Sport
Other areas have seen galleries come to
Board
Margate, Conwy and Wakefield. Festivals
have made a big impact on the economies
in Glastonbury, Powys and Great Yarmouth.
There are many more examples across the
country.

Front cover photo: Gateshead Millennium Bridge

2 Culture-led regeneration
At the UK branch of the Calouste Gulbenkian
Foundation, we believe that arts and cultural
activities can transform the lives of individuals
and communities. That’s why for more than
60 years we have worked with others to
help pioneer new approaches, whether
to arts education or participation. From
enhancing confidence and skills, to increasing
employment and strengthening neighbourhood
cohesion, arts and culture are much more than
a ‘nice to have’. Rather, they are an integral
part of community wellbeing and we believe
they should touch the lives of everyone.
In 2017, we published the first report from
our Inquiry into the Civic Role of Arts
Organisations. We know this means different
things to different people but, for us, it means
arts which are relevant to the lives of people
and reflect the places in which they live. It
is about relevance, not resilience for its own
sake. The inquiry uncovered many examples
of the ways arts and culture are transforming
places. From festivals enlivening derelict town
centres to museum exhibitions bringing in
entirely new audiences, it is clear there are
rich opportunities to build on these successes
and take them further.
We are pleased that local authorities are
increasingly recognising the ability of the
arts and culture sector to generate positive
change in their areas. They play an important
role in supporting the civic role of arts
organisations, yet this has become more
challenging.
Despite very real funding pressures, many
councils across England and Wales continue
to invest in arts and culture in innovative ways,
recognising the social and economic benefits
to their local areas.
We have partnered with the Local Government
Association (LGA) to capture examples of local
authority good practice and innovation and
share the lessons from their work. The 15 case
studies examined reveal the range of benefits
that can be achieved when arts and culture
are put at the heart of local activity. They also
demonstrate the levels of commitment and
energy from communities, local organisations
and the private sector to support and
collaborate on these kinds of approaches.
This report provides guidance and sets
out key considerations for councils and
other partners seeking to invest in cultural
infrastructure and activity. We hope this
publication will encourage more councils
to employ a culture-led approach to
regeneration in their areas, and lead to
yet more arts organisations taking their
civic role seriously.
Andrew Barnett
Director, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
(UK Branch)
Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 3
Contents

Introduction 5

The economic and social impacts of culture-led regeneration 6

Case studies

Individual cultural institutions and attractions 8

Community-focused cultural programmes 10
Strategic organisation/coordination of cultural activity 11
Recurring arts/cultural festivals 12

Lessons learnt 13

Appendix, consultations undertaken 21

4 Culture-led regeneration
Introduction
Culture-led regeneration as a local policy has
been around for many years, but arguably has
a higher profile now that at any earlier time.
Councils across England and Wales, along
with their partners, have competed hard in
recent years to be awarded the titles of UK
City of Culture, European Capital of Culture
and London Borough of Culture. Major
national programmes, such as Arts Council
England’s ‘Creative People and Places’
and the Arts Council and Heritage Lottery
Fund’s ‘Great Place Scheme’, are supporting
economic and social regeneration through
culture, while the positive force of key cultural
institutions and community-based cultural
programmes is delivering regeneration
outcomes right across the country.
There is now a clear acknowledgement of
the social and economic value of the cultural
sector, and its ability to deliver growth and
drive regeneration. These impacts can
range from growth in tourism, creative and
cultural sectors, to enhancing individual
skills, knowledge and confidence, to
strengthening community pride and place
image. For example, culture-led regeneration
approaches covered by the case studies in
this document have:
• facilitated two million annual visitors to
Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, with
£51 million of annual visitor spending
• increased community pride for 90 per cent
of local audience members in Stoke-on-
Trent, as part of the Appetite programme
• created or safeguarded 1,300 jobs by the
NewcastleGateshead Initiative in 2017,
with 22 new businesses attracted by the
initiative’s inward investment activities
• generated £40 million of economic impact
through the Manchester International
Festival across Greater Manchester in 2017.
The Local Government Association (LGA) and
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation are working
together to capture local authority good
practice in this area. This publication brings
together 15 case studies demonstrating
different approaches to culture-led
regeneration across England and Wales,
and the positive impacts they can deliver.
Local government is a major funder of culture
and understands local needs, making it well
placed to coordinate and deliver outcomes
around culture and regeneration. With a
context of reducing funding, councils must
find innovative ways to use cultural activity
and form strategic partnerships to deliver
these positive social and economic impacts.
While some of the projects contained in these
case studies began before the economic
downturn, all have been either partially or
fully delivered over the more challenging
funding conditions of the last decade, at a
time when councils have faced the need to
cut core budgets and have found arts and
cultural funders also facing tighter budgets.
The lessons arising should therefore remain
relevant in the current delivery context.
The aim of this publication is to share a
better understanding of how culture-led
regeneration can be delivered in different
ways, the potential economic and social
impacts that can be derived from this
investment, and how councils and their
partners can seek to maximise these
benefits in their area.
Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 5
The economic and social
impacts of culture-led
regeneration
Through the evidence collected for this study, culture-led regeneration has been shown
to deliver a broad range of social and economic impacts, including:

Enhancing community
Creating employment
cohesion and pride

Attracting more visitors, Supporting enhanced

boosting the tourism sector resident health

Stimulating town centre footfall, Bringing enjoyment

boosting local business for residents

Stimulating and supporting Attracting inward

creative sector growth investment

Enhancing the area’s image,

Developing the skills, knowledge
helping to attract skilled people
and confidence of residents
and business investment

6 Culture-led regeneration

Typology of approach
The case studies in the following sections
have been structured in a way which enables
transferable lessons to be drawn, and to
provide useful insights from a range of
different authorities across England and Wales.
The typology of culture-led regeneration
approaches adopted in this publication is
explained below, and should enable councils to
consider a range of approaches for their area.
Individual cultural institutions and
attractions
Cultural institutions can act as a hub and driving
force for regeneration, often representing a
focal point for cultural investment and activity,
particularly in smaller towns and rural areas. For
some areas, channelling investment through a
main cultural hub can be the most effective way
to generate economic and social impacts. The
case studies we’ve studied are:
• Dreamland and Turner Contemporary,
Margate
• Storyhouse, Chester
Strategic organisation/coordination
of cultural activity
Several areas have invested in a long-term
strategic body or partnership to coordinate,
develop and deliver cultural infrastructure
and activities across their area, in order to
increase the positive economic and social
impacts arising from culture-led regeneration.
The case studies studied are:
• NewcastleGateshead Initiative
• New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership –
‘Culture Drives Growth’ strategy
• Cornwall 365.
Arts/cultural festivals
Recurring arts festivals often act as a focal
point for culture-led regeneration in a range
of urban and rural areas. The motivations for
delivering festivals will differ depending on
context, and the economic and social impacts
generated can depend on what these
motivations are, and whether the festival has
been designed and delivered to maximise
economic and social benefits. The case
studies studied are:

• Peckham Levels, Southwark • Manchester International Festival

• Portsmouth cultural infrastructure • Out There international festival of street
arts and circus, Great Yarmouth
• MOSTYN, Conwy.
• Green Man Festival, Powys.
Community-focused cultural programmes
Revenue-based investment in cultural
programmes can deliver very different types
of social and economic impacts, often being
targeted at areas where engagement with
the arts has historically been low. This is
likely to have been a key approach used in
areas receiving funding from the Arts Council
England ‘Creative People and Places’ scheme
or the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council
England ‘Great Place Scheme’. The case
studies studied are:

• Walthamstow Creative Connections,

Waltham Forest
• First Art programme, Ashfield, Bolsover,
Mansfield and North East Derbyshire
• Appetite, Stoke-on-Trent
• Culture Works, North East Lincolnshire.

Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 7

Case studies

Individual cultural institutions

and attractions
A more detailed overview of each case study can be found at
www.local.gov.uk/culture-led-regeneration

Dreamland and Turner Peckham Levels, Southwark

Contemporary, Margate Southwark Council identified and enabled the
Thanet District Council responded to active transformation of an underused multi-storey
community campaigns to restore and develop car park into a major cultural and creative
major cultural and visitor attractions in Margate. hub and workspace.

300 jobs supported directly over 450 full-time and

and indirectly by Dreamland part-time jobs supported
and the Turner within Peckham Levels

20% of studios rented on

1 million new visitors to
less-than-market rent to support
Margate directly due to the
creative start-ups
Turner Contemporary

helping to boost Peckham’s

19% tourism growth between
cultural identity and attracting
2013-15, with annual tourism
new visitors to the area
value rising to £293 million

Storyhouse, Chester Portsmouth cultural

An innovative cultural centre in the heart
of Chester with an award-winning design,
focused on encouraging the community
and visitors to spend time there.
1 million visitors recorded one
year after opening
15% increase in footfall in key
location in Chester city centre
attributed to Storyhouse opening
infrastructure
Portsmouth City Council has led or supported
cultural investment over two decades to
transform closed naval sites into a major
visitor and employment hub.
250 full-time equivalent jobs
supported at Portsmouth
Historic Dockyard
2 million annual visitors,
spending £51 million each year

100 full-time, part-time and

casual staff, plus 160 volunteers Spinnaker Tower used extensively
in Portsmouth marketing and to
attract inward investment

8 Culture-led regeneration
MOSTYN Gallery, Conwy
With support from Conwy County Borough
Council, MOSTYN Gallery completed a
refurbishment in 2010 and now acts as an
important community, visitor and creative/
cultural sector hub.

generates over £600,000

of economic value in the
local area each year

over 100,000 annual visits,

with two-thirds of visitors from
outside the local area

5,000 learners engaged in the

education programme each year

Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 9

Case studies
Community-focused cultural
programmes
A more detailed overview of each case study can be found at
www.local.gov.uk/culture-led-regeneration
Appetite, Stoke-on-Trent
The three-year ‘Appetite Stoke’ programme
has engaged more people in arts and culture,
helping to boost local pride, town centre
footfall and perceptions of Stoke-on-Trent.
100,000 more day visitors to
Stoke-on-Trent in 2016
2/3 of the budget spent in the
local area, directly supporting
local jobs
audience feedback shows
90% felt an increase in
community pride
Culture Works, North East
Lincolnshire
Set up by grassroots cultural organisations,
Culture Works has provided leadership
and coordination for the sector and worked
with the council to push culture up the local
political agenda.
£3.8 million secured for
cultural regeneration
attracting new visitors through
events such as the Grimsby
Arts Festival
developing a more distinctive
identify for North East
Lincolnshire
10 Culture-led regeneration
Walthamstow Creative
Connections, Waltham Forest
Waltham Forest Council is currently delivering a
three-year cultural programme with a focus on
demonstrating how culture can improve people’s
quality of life, their wellbeing and their prosperity.
a commitment to spend at least
half of the programme budget
in the local area, which will
support local jobs
support for community-level
culture, micro-projects and
large-scale events designed to
bring communities together
using culture as part of the
approach to tackling health
conditions such as early-onset
dementia
First Art programme, Ashfield,
Bolsover, Mansfield and North
East Derbyshire
First Art has delivered over 200 events in former
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire coalfield areas,
delivering social and economic benefits in areas
where arts engagement is historically very low.
80,000 people engaged across
200 events in 2015-17
high-quality cultural activity
delivered in local areas,
increasing community pride
and cohesion
joining up a network of cultural
organisations to share knowledge
and reach new audiences
Case studies

Strategic organisation/
coordination of cultural activity
A more detailed overview of each case study can be found at
www.local.gov.uk/culture-led-regeneration

NewcastleGateshead Initiative Cornwall 365

Since its set-up in 2000, the Newcastle
Gateshead Initiative has spearheaded
strategic project delivery and marketing to
visitors and investors, with cultural activity
at the heart of this work.
Newcastle-Gateshead attracts
17 million visitors per year
Cornwall 365 has spearheaded an innovative
approach to marketing Cornwall as a distinctive
cultural destination, supporting growth in the
visitor, cultural and creative sectors.
1/3 of the £165,000 annual
budget spent with local artists
and businesses

2/3 of businesses attracted

22 new businesses attracted
more visitors as a result in
to the area in 2017, creating
engaging with Cornwall 365
or safeguarding 1,300 jobs

cultural sector development

Great Exhibition of the North including cross-marketing
expected to add £184 million between attractions
to the local economy

New Anglia Local Enterprise

Partnership – ‘Culture Drives
Growth’ strategy
New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership
(LEP) is supporting sector leadership and
employing innovative approaches to support
local economic growth through its creative
and cultural sector strengths.

349 cultural and creative

individuals or businesses
supported through StartEast

16% rise in the number of

cultural tourists visiting the region

cross-sector economic
growth through work to develop
collaboration between the
cultural and technology sectors

Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 11

Case studies

Recurring arts/cultural
festivals
A more detailed overview of each case study can be found at
www.local.gov.uk/culture-led-regeneration

Manchester International Green Man Festival, Powys

Festival
Manchester’s biennial festival has attracted major
artists and delivered large-scale and innovative
events and activities, which have put the city on
the national and international cultural map.
Running since 2003, the Green Man Festival
has attracted 20,000 visitors a year to Powys,
as well as providing training, promoting local
food and drink suppliers and fundraising for
local causes.

total economic impact of

over 20,000 attendees, 5% from
£40 million across Greater
outside the UK
Manchester in 2017

300,000 attendees, creating a

1/2 of the visitors also visit
spending boost for city centre
an additional site or attraction
businesses and the tourism
in Wales
sector

over 4,000 people engaged in the ‘settler’s pass’ generates

the creative learning programme £500,000 per year for the local
through 68 education providers tourist and retail economies

‘Out There’ international

festival of street arts and
circus, Great Yarmouth
An annual street arts and circus festival attracting
more than 40,000 attendees to Great Yarmouth
every September, supporting the visitor economy
and creative sector development in the town.

the festival created over

£1.1 million of total economic
activity in 2017

more than 40,000 participants

attended, including 2,000
overnight stays in paid
accommodation

supports skills development

for circus and street arts
performers through new
facilities at Drill House

12 Culture-led regeneration
Lessons learnt and
relevance for local
authorities across the UK
The case studies collected here demonstrate
the broad range of quantifiable economic and
social benefits that can arise from investing in
cultural infrastructure and activity, as well as
the enormous energy and resource existing
in communities, local organisations and the
private sector to support this.
For councils or other partners seeking to
do more to employ culture-led regeneration
approaches in their area, the report can help
in considering four key questions to support
that strategy or planning process.
Which economic and
social impacts are highest
priority for your area?
This report has demonstrated the broad
range of economic and social impacts
that can be achieved through culture-led
regeneration approaches. Identifying which
are the greatest priorities for your area is
important in considering the most appropriate
strategic approach to investing in culture.
The list below summarises those key impact
types:
• creating employment
• attracting more visitors, boosting the
tourism sector
• stimulating town centre footfall, boosting
local business
• stimulating and supporting creative
sector growth
• enhancing the area’s image, helping
it attract skilled people and business
investment
• developing the skills, knowledge and
confidence of residents
• enhancing community cohesion and pride
• supporting enhanced resident health
• bringing enjoyment for residents.
What are the strengths
you can build on, or
weaknesses you want
to address, in delivering
culture-led regeneration?
Every local authority area starts from
a different base in terms of cultural
infrastructure and existing activities, so the
most appropriate approach to culture-led
regeneration will depend on a baseline
understanding of these strengths and
weaknesses. Based on the case studies
set out in this document, this analysis might
consider the factors below:
• existing cultural institutions and attractions
• available buildings/infrastructure which
could house cultural/creative activities
• creative/cultural sector business base
• visitor economy business base
• existing annual investment in cultural
activity from the local authority, Arts
Council, national portfolio organisations
or other partners
• existing arts and culture festivals
and events
Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 13
• historic arts and cultural associations
with the area
• levels of cultural participation
among residents
• culturally-engaged community groups
• local appetite for volunteering
• existing culture/tourism partnership
structures.

Which approaches to
culture-led regeneration
might be most effective?
The case studies in this document have been
set out under four different types of approach
to investing in culture-led regeneration. For
some areas, one of these approaches may
be suitable; for other areas, two or more may
be employed together, and in some areas an
entirely different approach may be used.

By having clarity about the most important

impacts to be achieved in the area and
an understanding of the existing relevant
strengths and weaknesses of the area, it may
be easier to develop and deliver approaches
that can have greatest local impact. The
tables below summarise the common impacts
delivered by each culture-led regeneration
approach considered in this report.

14 Culture-led regeneration
Cultural institutions and attractions
Impacts Examples from case studies
Creating employment • 300 jobs are supported by Margate’s Dreamland and Turner Contemporary,
including direct jobs as well as jobs supported in their supply chain and
through induced spending effects.
• 450 full- and part-time jobs are supported in the creative and cultural
workspace at Peckham Levels.
Stimulating town • Footfall counts around Chester Storyhouse show a 15 per cent increase
centre footfall, following the opening of the venue.
boosting local • Through enhancing area image, Peckham Levels has helped attract new
business visitors to Peckham town centre which will increase town centre spend.
Attracting more • The Turner Contemporary has attracted almost one million extra visitors to
visitors, boosting the Margate since 2011 who would not otherwise have visited.
visitor economy • The range of attractions developed at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard now
attract two million annual visitors.
Stimulating and • 20 per cent of studios at Peckham Levels are rented at around one-third
supporting creative of market rent on a six to12-month fixed term lease, to support start-ups.
sector growth • MOSTYN gallery in Llandudno acts as an important sales outlet for the
local creative sector, through showcasing in gallery exhibitions and sales
in the shop.
Enhancing the area’s • Following major cultural investments, Margate is now strongly associated
image, helping with artists by visitors to the town, and is attracting new investment,
it attract skilled including Tracy Emin’s new studio.
people and business • The Portsmouth cultural infrastructure investments have helped to catalyse
investment new investment in this area of town, including the Ben Ainslie Racing HQ.
Developing the • Chester’s Storyhouse has 160 volunteers supporting the venue and
skills, knowledge benefitting from training and enhanced confidence.
and confidence of • 5,000 learners engaged annually through MOSTYN’s education programme
residents delivered to pupils, students and lifelong learners.

Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 15

Community-focused cultural programmes
Impacts Examples from case studies
Enhancing • 90 per cent of attendees to the Stoke-on-Trent’s Appetite programme felt an
community cohesion increase in community pride as a result of attendance.
and pride • First Art has brought together communities, often in geographically isolated
areas, through high-quality local cultural activity.
Stimulating and • Walthamstow Creative Connections has sought to support local creative
supporting creative business growth and provide creative sector skills/apprenticeships for
sector growth individuals, especially young people.
• Culture Works in North East Lincolnshire has supported knowledge
sharing, joint working and cross-promotion of arts and cultural activities
within the sector.
Stimulating town • The Stoke-on-Trent Appetite programme saw a 20 per cent increase
centre footfall, in city centre footfall on the weekend of the Big Feast Festival.
boosting local • Through support for larger-scale activity such as the Grimsby Arts Festival,
business Culture Works will increase town centre footfall.
Creating employment • Walthamstow Creative Connections has a commitment to spend 50 per cent
of the £1.4 million programme budget in the local area, supporting local
jobs.
• The Stoke-on-Trent Appetite programme aimed to spend around two-thirds
of the £3 million programme budget in the local area, supporting local jobs.
Bringing enjoyment • First Art has engaged 80,000 people across 200 events during 2015-17,
for residents supporting enhanced wellbeing and quality of life.
• 500,000 people were engaged in the first six months by Walthamstow
Creative Connections, enhancing local resident quality of life.
Supporting enhanced • Walthamstow Creative Connections has invested in targeted programming,
resident health using culture as part of the approach to tackling health conditions such as
early-onset dementia.

Strategic coordination of cultural activity

Impacts Examples from case studies
Attracting more • The NewcastleGateshead Initiative secured the Great Exhibition of the
visitors, boosting the North to the area, which is expected to generate £184 million economic
tourism sector value in the area.
• Two-thirds of businesses engaging with the Cornwall 365 project attracted
more visitors as a result of their engagement.
Stimulating and • 235 cultural and creative individuals or businesses were supported through
supporting creative the New Anglia LEP culture board’s StartEast programme.
sector growth • Cornwall 365 has helped support cultural sector skills development, better
coordinated marketing and more cross-marketing between cultural and
tourist attractions.
Enhancing the area’s • Inward investment secured by the NewcastleGateshead Initiative helped
image, helping create or safeguard 1,300 jobs in 2017, supported by the image and offer
it attract skilled of the area’s cultural facilities.
people and business
investment

16 Culture-led regeneration
Recurring arts and cultural festivals
Impacts Examples from case studies
Attracting more • There were 300,000 attendees at the 2017 Manchester International
visitors, boosting the Festival, providing a major spending boost for the tourism sector.
tourism sector • Green Man Festival supported £0.5 million additional economic impact
(gross value added) beyond the festival site, as a result of their programme
encouraging people to extend their stay to one week.
Stimulating and • Over 4,000 people engaged in Manchester International Festival’s creative
supporting creative learning programme, enthusing a future generation of artists and creatives.
sector growth • The Out There Festival provides inspiration, networking and skills
development for circus and street arts performers, particularly through
the new facilities at Drill House.
Developing the • Green Man Festival runs programmes to train and mentor vulnerable young
skills, knowledge adults, and has 100 local volunteers working at the festival each year.
and confidence • 450 volunteers support the Manchester International Festival, all receiving
of residents training, and many learn new skills and build confidence.
Enhancing • The Out There Festival aims to develop a stronger sense of vibrancy in
community cohesion Great Yarmouth, enhancing the external image and sense of community
and pride pride in the town.
Enhancing the area’s • 88 per cent of attendees felt the Manchester International Festival
image, helping strengthened Manchester’s status as a world-class cultural city.
it attract skilled
people and business
investment

Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 17

What lessons can we learn
in delivering culture-led
regeneration?
The case studies have revealed a range
of useful lessons and good practice in
delivering culture-led regeneration that
can help councils, councillors and their
partners to derive greatest benefit from their
investment in this area. A selection of these
are summarised below.
A shared vision is an important foundation
Delivering economic and social regeneration
through any approach requires the input
and buy-in of a wide range of public, private
and third sector partners. Development of a
shared vision and action plan with partners
can be critical to realising ambitions.
• The development of a shared vision was
seen as a critical foundation for successful
delivery of the long-term regeneration of
Portsmouth Harbour, which required the
energy, skills and commitment of a wide
range of organisations.
• Developing a shared strategy and action
plan across partners was recognised as
critical by the New Anglia LEP culture board.
The ‘Culture Drives Growth’ strategy builds
on the assets and capabilities of a range of
partners to achieve common goals.
The cultural offer needs to be authentic
Several of the case studies have developed
attractions, events and festivals that paid
close attention to the history and heritage of
their area, building on these as a foundation
for a cultural offering that felt authentic. This
was seen as important to visitors who want
to feel a genuine sense of place, but also
residents who wanted their cultural offering
to be a true reflection of their place and a
source of local pride.
• Portsmouth’s cultural infrastructure
investments provide a coherent set of
naval-related attractions, building on the
history of this area of the city.
• Out There took inspiration from the
performative history of Great Yarmouth,
18 Culture-led regeneration
helping to make the event feel authentic
and secure greater community buy-in and
local pride in the festival.
Councils may need to commit to cultural
investment over the long term
Many of the case studies demonstrate that
significant culture-led regeneration impacts
have only followed on from long-term planning
and commitment by the council(s) and its
(their) partners.
• In Margate, it was 10 years between the
formation of the Turner Contemporary
organisation and its opening, and 12
years between the formation of the ‘Save
Dreamland’ campaign and its reopening.
• The NewcastleGateshead Initiative has
continued to receive significant core
funding from the two councils, even during
the current challenging funding climate,
reflecting their long-term commitment
and the value they recognise that the
body generates.
Councils can employ different
operational models
Local authorities can play a range of different
roles in delivery of culture-led regeneration
approaches, which require different levels of
resource investment, and which equally offer
different levels of control or influence.
• Walthamstow Creative Connections is
being directly delivered by the council, in
collaboration with other external partners.
• Southwark Council owns and lets Peckham
Levels, so is not involved in day-to-
day operations, but has a place on the
board to retain the ability to influence the
development of the facility.
• Gateshead and Newcastle councils
provide core funding each year to the
NewcastleGateshead Initiative and each
sits on the board, however this is run
independently from the two councils.
• Norfolk and Suffolk county councils provide
funding and support for the New Anglia
‘Culture Drives Growth’ strategy, but
delivery is coordinated at a strategic local
enterprise partnership level.
• Powys County Council supports and
enables the delivery of the Green Man
Festival through regulatory support
and promotion, however is not involved
in delivery.
Cultural investment can require boldness
and ambition
Some of the case studies which have
achieved the greatest impacts are ones
where bold, creative decisions were taken
in order to realise a vision.
• The innovative design and multi-functional
approach to the new Chester Storyhouse
required a willingness to take risks, as
well as political and financial backing from
Cheshire West and Chester Council.
• Manchester International Festival highlights
the ‘can do’ nature of the council, and its
boldness in new activities and initiatives
that help attract attention to the city, seeing
this as a key enabler of the growth and
enhanced reputation of the festival.
Shorter-term investment for local
festivals can enable the development
of institutions that will yield longer-term
sustainable impacts
Organisations involved in two of the festival
case studies have sought to establish more
permanent bases to allow greater year-round
culture-led regeneration impacts in these areas.
• Manchester International Festival
will become the managing body for
Manchester’s new cultural hub, the Factory,
enabling year-round arts and cultural
outputs, in addition to continuation of the
biennial festival.
• Out There secured Arts Council funding to
establish a permanent space which they
have refurbished into the UK’s only creative
production centre for street arts and
contemporary circus, with an aim to deliver
greater year-round cultural activity.
Positive outcomes can be achieved
with limited budgets
In a challenging funding climate, a number
of the case studies have demonstrated that
positive impacts can be achieved with very
limited initial budgets.
• Culture Works started up with no initial
funding, operating to bring cultural partners
together and work with the council to
support the development of a cultural
strategy for the area, and has now helped
to secure £3.8 million for local cultural
regeneration.
• Out There also receives very limited
external funding, but through engaging
with an Interreg European network,
securing funding from a local tourism
business association and a small grant
from Arts Council England, has been able
to gradually build its high-quality circus and
street arts festival.
• New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership’s
culture board also started without any
significant funding, but through bringing
strategic partners together behind a shared
ambition, has now been able to secure
Arts Council and European Regional
Development Fund funding to deliver a first
project, and is planning to build activity
from there.
National cultural bodies can be important
local partners
Several of the case studies demonstrate
the benefits gained by councils engaging
more closely with nationally significant
arts organisations, drawing on their skills,
expertise and resources to enhance local
cultural project delivery.
• Walthamstow Creative Connections has
been produced in collaboration with the
Barbican and Soho Theatre as delivery
partners.
• The Manchester International Festival
programme is part-funded by contributions
from external co-producers such as
national cultural bodies, which also adds
prestige and enhances the quality of the
cultural offer of the festival.
Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 19
Community involvement can be a powerful
driver for culture-led regeneration
Local communities can play a major role in
culture-led regeneration, providing ideas, time
and energy into projects, as well as applying
pressure and helping to demonstrate local
backing for projects which can help in case-
making and securing funds.
• In Margate, both the Turner Contemporary
and Dreamland were developed following
active campaigning and development work
by local community groups.
• The Stoke-on-Trent Appetite programme
has sought to build community involvement
and ownership of the programme, through
regular events to input to and shape the
cultural programme.
Careful design and delivery can help
to maximise impacts
In several of the case studies, it can be
seen that the careful design and delivery
of projects and activities has sought to
maximise the local economic and social
benefits delivered, highlighting that it is not
just where the investment is made, but the
details of how it is implemented that can
affect the impacts achieved.
• Green Man Festival has a programme
encouraging attendees to extend their
stay beyond the festival period in order
to spend more in the local economy, and
sources many of its food and drink stalls
from within Wales.
• The Out There Festival in Great Yarmouth
was strategically timed in September to
extend Great Yarmouth’s summer tourist
economy, and holds night-time events to
encourage visitors to stay overnight.
• To ensure local community benefits were
embedded into delivery, Peckham Levels
has made it a requirement of all tenants
that they offer at least one hour per week
of their skills and knowledge to a
community resource fund.
20 Culture-led regeneration
Cultural programme brand and identity
can be very important
Several of the case studies highlighted the
importance of a clear brand being associated
with high-quality cultural activities, particularly
in areas where cultural engagement has
historically been lower.
• The Appetite Stoke programme identified
the importance of this so people would
relate the brand with interesting and high-
quality activity, and allowing the organisers
to build a strong social media presence
around the brand.
• Culture Works has similarly invested
in having a strong social media and
online marketing strategy that reaches
out to a diverse demographic and the
local community.
Building the cultural network in rural
areas can help enhance impacts
Some of the rurally focused case studies
highlight the additional challenges faced in
these areas, with residents often based a
greater distance from cultural venues and
events, and often having lower levels of
cultural engagement as a result. By building
links between cultural venues and events in
rural areas, a greater critical mass of activity
can be built and jointly marketed, to the
benefit of all partners.
• Cornwall 365 has helped to demonstrate
the benefits of collaboration to cultural and
visitor economy businesses, showing that
cooperation and shared marketing can
bring mutual benefits across the sector.
• First Art, covering areas of Derbyshire and
Nottinghamshire, has helped local cultural
bodies work together, sharing knowledge
and resources and helping to build
audiences for local activity.
Appendix
Consultations undertaken

Consultations undertaken for case study research

Case study Consultations
Margate, Dreamland and Madeline Homer, Chief Executive, Thanet District Council
Turner Contemporary Councillor Robert Bayford, Leader, Thanet District Council
Marvia Roach, Media Officer, Thanet District Council
Storyhouse, Chester Alex Clifton, Artistic Director, Storyhouse
Councillor Louise Gitten, Cabinet Member for Communities and
Wellbeing, Cheshire West and Chester Council
Peckham Levels, Neil Kirby, Head of Regeneration South, Southwark Council
Southwark Sophie Hall-Thompson, Regeneration Manager, Southwark Council
MOSTYN, Conwy Councillor Louise Emery, Cabinet Member for Economy, Venue
Cymru, Marketing and Events, Conwy County Borough Council
Alfredo Cramerotti, Director, MOSTYN
Walthamstow Creative Lorna Lee, Head of Culture and Heritage Services, London Borough
Connections of Waltham Forest
Portsmouth cultural Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Leader, Portsmouth City Council
infrastructure Stephen Baily, Director of Culture and City Development, Portsmouth
City Council
Jane Singh, Visitor Services and Development Manager, Portsmouth
City Council
First Art Programme, Madeline Holmes, Creative Director, First Art
North East Derbyshire Councillor Tom Hollis, Deputy Leader, Ashfield District Council
Appetite, Stoke-on-Trent Karl Greenwood, Director, Appetite
Councillor Abi Brown, Deputy Leader, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Paul Bailey, Cultural Development Officer, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Culture Works, North East Councillor Jane Hyldon-King, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing
Lincolnshire and Adult Social Care, North East Lincolnshire Council
Charlotte Bowen, Founder, Culturehouse
Manchester International Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member for Schools, Culture
Festival and Leisure, Manchester City Council
Fiona Gasper, Executive Director, Manchester International Festival
Alex Byars, Chief Operating Officer, Manchester International Festival
Out There Festival, Julia Devonshire, Cultural Development Lead, Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Joe Mackintosh, Chief Executive, SeaChange Arts

Achieving inclusive and sustainable growth 21

 Case study Consultations
Green Man Festival, Powys Councillor Rosemarie Harris, Leader, Powys County Council
NewcastleGateshead Councillor Angela Douglas, Gateshead Council
Initiative Lindsay Murray, Service Director, Gateshead Council
Carol Bell, Executive Director, Great Exhibition of the North
Ian Thomas, Head of Insight, NewcastleGateshead Initiative
New Anglia Culture Drives Kenny Lang, Innovation and Sector Manager, New Anglia Local
Growth Strategy Enterprise Partnership
Helen Wilson, Chair, New Anglia Cultural Board
Cornwall 365 Fiona Wotton, Director, Cornwall 365
Councillor Bob Egerton, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy,
Cornwall Council
Tamsin Daniel, Interim Culture Manager, Cornwall Council

22 Culture-led regeneration
Research conducted by

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